The present invention relates to oil spill cleanup devices and pertains particularly to an improved oil spill cleanup apparatus.
Oil spills on the world's oceans and waterways are a frequent occurrence in modern times due to the high volume of petroleum, crude and other products transported over the waterways. The products of these oil spills are frequently swept by wind, waves and currents to the world's beaches and coastlines before they can be contained and recovered. It is desirable that the products of these spills be cleaned from the water surfaces and from the coastline as rapidly as possible.
Many coastline areas are remote and rugged with various conditions, including rocky shores and beaches, tide pools, and other conditions. Once oil has been swept to these areas, it is difficult to extract or recover and remove from the areas. Therefore, it is desirable that any spill be recovered from the water surface prior to reaching these areas.
Once a rugged coastline has been contaminated with oil and the like, the common practice is to attempt to clean the shores by means of straw or other absorbent materials placed over the areas in an effort to absorb the oil. The absorbent materials are then removed and disposed of.
The present invention was conceived and developed as an alternate and improved means of quickly extracting oil spills from water surfaces before they spread to shorelines and the like.